Weekly D'Var

Where Is Elijahu Hatishbi, Hagiladi?

Why do we have a special cup of wine on the Seder table for Elijahu Hatishbi? And who was

or, perhaps, still is Eliiahu? And why is there a special chair for Eliahu on which the Sandek

sits to hold the baby boy for circumcision to enter into the covenant started by God with

Abraham? Moreover, why do we after Havdalah, sing the song about Elijahu HaTishbi, also

called Elijahu Hagiladi?

Elijahu is the only one of our prophets who does not have a whole separate book of his life.

Descriptions of his activiiiities are found mainly in Malach Im Aleph [chaps 17-21]and some

mentions about him in Malachim Bet [chaps 1,2]and finally at the end of the last prophet

Malachi. There are many references and stories about Elijahu in rabbinic literature

including the Babylonian Talmud. There are also references to Elijahu in ancient Christian

and Islamic literature, in regard to his preaching against Baal idolatry.

Elijahu’s major period of prophecy in the 9th century BCE as recorded in 1 Kings was during

the reign of Ahab and his sons in the northern Israel kingdom that had split away from the

southern Kingdom of Judeah which had retained the historic capital of Jerusalem and the

Temple. The northern kingdom of Israel became dominated by idolatry and worship of Baal

and Ashtera which was under the influence of Jezebel, wife of Ahab. Jezebel was a

worshiper of Baal and a daughter of king Ethbaal of Sidon and Tyre in Phoenicia (now coast

of Lebanon). Ahab built a temple for Baal in Israel and Jezebel brought a large entourage of

priests and prophets of Baal and Asherah into the country. Into this background, Elijah is

introduced as Elijahu the Tish bi from Gilad.

His name in Hebrew means “My God is Yahweh” and may have been applied to him

because of his challenges to the worship of Baal.

Elijahu warns Ahab that a catastrophic drought will come so severe that even dew will not

form because of the apostasy of Ahab and Queen Jezebel who have done evil in the sight of

the Lord. According to the text, Elijahu’s challenge is quite bold and directly against their

beliefs that the Canaanite Baal is responsible for rain, thunder, lightening, and dew. This

challenge , then, is against Baal on behalf of God and against Jezebel, her priests, Ahab and

the people of Israel in the northern kingdom. God then directs Elijahu to a refuge by the

brook Cherith “before the Jordan” where he can drink the water and that ravens will bring

him food. When the brook dries up, God directs Elijahu to the town Zarephath near Sidon

where he meets a widow to whom he had been sent. She was gathering sticks to prepare

what she thought would be the last meal for her and her son, emptying her almost

exhausted supply of meal and oil. However, she shows hospitality to the prophet who

promises her in the name of the God of Israel that her supply would not fail so long as the

drought persists, which was the case as prophesied.

Then another miracle. After some time, the son fell ill and seemed not able to breathe .The

widow cried out to the prophet who came and took the boy to an upper chamber which

contained a bed. He placed the child on the bed and stretched himself out on the boy 3

times and prayed to the Lord to let this child’s soul return to him, and the child revived.

This is the first instance of raising the dead recorded in Scripture. The widow cried, “the word of the

Lord in your mouth is truth.”

After more than three years of drought and famine, God tells Elijah to return to Ahab and announce

the end of the drought. While on his way, Elijah meets Obadiah, the head of Ahab’s household, who

had hidden a hundred Jewish prophets from Jezebel’s violent purge. Obadiah fears that when he

reports to Ahab about Elijah’s whereabouts, Elijah would disappear, provoking Ahab to execute him.

Elijah reassures Obadiah and sends him to Ahab.

Challenge to Baal on Mt Carmel

When Ahab confronts Elijah, he denounces him as being the “troubler of Israel” but Elijah retorts that

Ahab himself is the one who troubled Israel by allowing the worship of false gods (shedim).

At Elijah’s command, Ahab summons the people of Israel, 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets

of Asherah to Mount Carmel. Elijah then berates the people for their acquiescence in Baal worship:

“How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal,

then follow him.”

Elijah proposes a direct test of the powers of Baal and Yahweh (both Asherah and her prophets

disappear from the story entirely): he and Baal’s prophets will each take one of two bulls, prepare it

for sacrifice and lay it on wood, but put no fire to it. The prophets of Baal choose and prepare a bull

accordingly. Elijah then invites them to pray for fire to light the sacrifice. They pray from morning to

noon without success. Elijah ridicules their efforts. “At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud!

Surely he is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or

perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”‘um They respond by shouting louder and slashing

themselves with swords and spears. They continue praying until evening without success.

Elijah then repairs Yahweh’s altar with twelve stones, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Elijah

digs a trench around it and prepares the other bull for sacrifice as before. He then orders that the

sacrifice and altar be drenched with water from “four large jars” poured three times, filling also the

trench.mi He asks Yahweh to accept the sacrifice. Fire falls from the sky, consuming the sacrifice,

the stones of the altar itself, the earth and the water in the trench as well. When the people see this,

they declare, “The LORD-he is God; the LORD– he is God.“llill Elijah then orders them to seize the

prophets of Baal, which they do, and Elijah brings them down to the River Kishon and slays them, at

which the rains begin, signaling the end of the famine.

Jezebel is enraged that Elijahu has killed the prophets of Baal and threatens him. Elijahu flees to

Beersheba in JUdeah, and alone into the wilderness eventually to Mount Horeb. There, Elijahu is

told to go, stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord– for the Lord is about to pass by.

According to the text [1 Malachim 19: 11 ], a great and strong wind rent the mountains , and broke the

rocks bfore the Lord,but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord

was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after

the fire, a still, small voice.Elijahu heard the voice and wraped his face in his mantle. God told him to

return to Damscus, anoint Haza‘el to be king over ram, Yehu ben Nimshe to be king over Yisroel,

and you shall anoint Elisha ben Shafat to be prophet in your place.

Couple more minor events in the saga of Elijahu. Ahab has acquired possession of the

vineyard of Na both by murder arranged by Jezebel. Elijahu informs Ahab he and Jezebell

will be eaten by dogs. When Ahab hears this prophesy, Ahab repents so sincerely that God

stays his hand in punishing Ahab choosing. Instead to punish Jezebel and her son by Ahab,

Ahaziah. Ahaziah is injured in a fall from an upper window and is laid up in bed. He sends

messengers to priests of Baalzebub in Ekron to inquire whether he will die. Elijahu

intercepts the messengers and sends them back to Ahaziah with a message:”ls it because

there is no God in Israel that you are sending to Baalzebub the god of Ekron?” Ahaziah send

3 groups of soldiers to arrest Elijahu but the first 2 groups are destroyed by fire. The captain

of the 3rd group asks for mercy which Elijahu grants . He goes to Ahaziah to give his

prophesy in person . Ahaziah dies of his injuries.

Departure

According to 2 Kings 2:3-9, Elisha (Eliseus) and “the sons of the prophets” knew beforehand that

Elijah would one day be assumed into heaven. Elisha asked Elijah to “let a double portion” of Elijah’s

“spirit” be upon him. Elijah responded that will be difficult but agreed, with the condition that Elisha

would see him be “taken”. If he sees him taken, it would be, but if he doesn‘t see him taken, it would

not be.

Elijah, in company with Elisha, approaches the Jordan. He rolls up his mantle and strikes the

water.Im The water immediately divides and Elijah and Elisha cross on dry land. Suddenly, a chariot

of fire and horses of fire appea~ and Elijah is lifted up in a whirlwind. As Elijah is lifted up, his

mantle falls to the ground and Elisha picks it up.

Elisha and the sons of prophets there search all over for Elijahu for 3 days and do not find him.

So, it is that no one has seen his corpse nor knows where or if he is buried .

The last lines in the writings of the last prophet Malachi which state” “Behold, I will send you Elijah

the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of

fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with

a decree of utter destruction.“

George Siegel